In what was a rather unusual occurrence, Lakers star LeBron James actually was called for traveling Wednesday night.
During a matchup against the Bulls in Chicago, James committed one of the most egregious travels of the season, prompting a whistle from the referee.
James, who was attempting to attack the basket, could be seen taking as many as five steps and even leaving the ground with both feet as he ran into traffic in the lane.
While officials blowing the whistle for a travel has become something of a lost art in the NBA, LeBron’s violation was simply too egregious to ignore.
His walk generated quite the response from the Bulls’ television commentators, too. Stacey King hilariously demanded to see James’s passport after the 38-year-old practically stutter-stepped into the paint.
"Did you bring a passport with you?"
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) March 30, 2023
No hesitation from the Chicago Bulls announcers towards LeBron. 😭
🎥: @ESPNNBApic.twitter.com/USPkSb24We
“Hey buddy, did you bring a passport with you? Oh my goodness!” King said after James was called for traveling.
After getting past Patrick Williams, some solid help defense from Nikola Vucevic forced James to pick up his dribble, and from there, he took the additional steps.
Although traveling violations are often overlooked at this level of the game, there are instances where the infraction is too blatant to let slide. This was, without question, one of those instances for LeBron.